Jemi Fraser's Blog, page 3
February 15, 2023
WEP & With The Wind
This was where they’d met. Janie smiled as she looked over the view. It hadn’t changed that much over the decades.
Tom had been hiking with his buddies on their summer break, she'd been alone. They were all on the coast for the summer, working jobs in the tourist town. Tom had been working at a souvenir shop, she’d been at the fudge shop across the street.
But they’d met on the top of this hill. The hike had been worth it for the view alone. Meeting Tom had made it the best hike of her life. They’d often joked about what they’d have missed out on if they hadn’t made that hike at the same time all those years ago.
No holding hands or stolen kisses in the shadows between the street lamps. No dances on the beach or anniversary trips back here. No kids or grandkids.
They’d been so lucky, so blessed. And today was a day to celebrate that. A day to look back on all the kisses, all the stolen moments, all the laughter. Even the tears.
Jane walked to the edge of the bluff and shook the tube the funeral director had given her. Tom hadn’t wanted a fuss. The man had never wanted a fuss.
With a tear slipping down her cheek, Jane opened the tube and watched the last of Tom’s earthly body slip away on the wind.
But he’d never really be gone. How could he be? He’d become a part of her just as she’d been a part of him. She’d carry him along with her and make sure the little ones knew all about their gramps.
Jane blew a kiss to the wind. Whenever she felt the breeze, she’d know Tom was kissing her back.
***
Tagline: Gone isn't always gone
***
The above is part of the WEP Challenge for February's prompt Gone With The Wind.
Confession 1 time: I've never read the book. I've never seen the movie. I doubt I'll ever remedy that 🤷 It's never been something that appealed to me. But I love the title!
For the WEP challenges, I almost always draw inspiration from the title or the words. I've done that again with this prompt and probably will for the rest of the prompts (because I haven't seen most of those movies either!).
Confession 2 time: As many of you know, my mom was placed into palliative care a few weeks ago. She passed peacefully and painlessly shortly afterward. I wrote this piece before any of that happened. I almost wrote a new piece, but decided to leave this as is. I'll be thinking of Lizzie whenever I touch the wind.
I hope you check out the other entries in this month's challenge and I really hope you'll enter your own piece. We're always eager for new writers to join in!
February 1, 2023
The IWSG & Covers
The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
February 1 question - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?
I made the cover for Dancing With Dementia. I loved the experience of learning how to use photoshop and create layers and elements. I enjoyed finding just the right image and choosing fonts and colours.
What I didn't enjoy? The time commitment! And while the result is fine and portrays what I want it to portray, I'm sure the cover will get an update at some point.
I have a talented family member who is terrific with graphics. She enjoys studying fonts and putting the images together. She loves the challenge of branding the series and keeping the look of each series separate. I LOVE the results of her work and I was more than happy to turn over the job of designing covers to her.
What about you? Any talented family members helping you out in your business? Anyone great with graphics and fonts and the rest?
January 24, 2023
Sleep well, Lizzie
My first published book was Dancing With Dementia: Recognizing and Coping with the Early Stages of Dementia.
The star of the book is Lizzie. I used an alternate name for Mom to protect her privacy but the stories in the book are all real.
Lizzie was a firecracker - from her early days growing up in Scotland throughout WWII to her time in a local nursing home where she was often the highlight of the day for many people.
Dementia is a cruel and nasty disease. The last few weeks have been difficult for Lizzie as she mostly lost contact with the world around her. She was put into palliative care and fell into a peaceful sleep. She passed away Monday morning without experiencing any pain.
Lizzie was known for her sense of humour, her adventurous spirit, her oh-so-colourful language, and her big heart. We will miss her sass, her spunk, and her stories.
Sleep well, Lizzie. Sleep well.
January 4, 2023
IWSG & Words
The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finish my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year was Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023?
Love this question!
2020 was the first year I chose a word. I decided I would take the big step and start publishing my books. My word that year was RISK.
In 2021, I chose FORWARD. In 2022, I kept the same word, FORWARD.
Since 2020, I've been living outside my comfort zone. Putting books out in the world is terrifying!!! For 2023, I want to keep stepping forward, keep risking, keep trying new things. I've signed up for one course with that in mind.
But, I also want to keep sinking into Me. For the first few years of this writing gig, I assumed that my way was wrong because it seemed like everyone else was doing it differently. (Everything from ideas to drafting to revising to genre to publishing to marketing). I'm learning to believe the advice I've given my students over the years: Follow your gut, listen to your heart, keep your mind open.
So for 2023, I think I'll choose BRAVE.
I want to be brave enough to follow my own path. Brave enough to learn and to try new things. Brave enough to reach out for opportunities. Brave enough to say No when things aren't right for me or when my plate is already overflowing.
How about you? What new things are you wanting to try this year? Is saying No difficult for you as well? Are you going to be brave with me?
December 7, 2022
IWSG & Holiday Goodies!
The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
December 7 question - It's holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?
It's definitely a time for me to fall behind!
We are a small family but we get together a lot for the holidays. My holiday job in the family is the baker. I enjoy baking, but it is time-consuming as everyone has their favourites - Nanaimo bars, fudges, shortbread, gingerbread, melting moments, apple loaf, family recipes...
Lots of goodness, lots of time, and lots of love.
How about you? Are you the baker? What's your favourite holiday treat?
🎄🎅🎄
On another note, here are two book treats for you!
Built of Flames released yesterday & early reviews are great!
"This book is entertaining, enjoyable and intriguing. I loved the quick reconnection between Bella and Mitch, their hot chemistry and the need to not let the other slip away again. I love that the heroine is a kick-butt arson investigator in a field usually dominated by men. The rapport and support among the friends living at Tansy’s compound in Phail is wonderful and heartwarming. It makes me want to know about the group of them and who will join them next." ~ rebmay
Amazon Apple B&N Nook Google Play Kobo
🎄🎅🎄
Reaching For Christmas is on sale at 40% off for the entire month of December. If you're looking for a heart-warming romantic suspense story with a fabulous rescue dog, you might enjoy this one!
Amazon Apple B&N Google Play Kobo
🎄🎅🎄
Wishing you joy and peace for the holiday season!
November 30, 2022
WEP & Harry's Mission
Nothing was going to stop Harry from achieving his mission. He’d planned every step. It had taken him days and days. Now, he had to make sure no one messed it up.
He ate all his supper. Even the broccoli.
He scraped off his plate. Put it in the dishwasher.
He didn’t splash in the bath.
Well, not too much.
Harry put on his new pajamas. The feet were a little too long, but he’d be careful.
At bedtime, he only asked for one extra story.
Then he waited.
Waiting was hard.
So was staying awake.
Harry pinched his toes and counted all the way to a hundred.
He whispered his plan to Marshall, but the stuffed Dalmatian didn’t have any ideas on how to stay awake.
When he’d waited forever, he looked at his clock. The first number was a nine. Or was it a six? He traced the number on his hand like his teacher had shown him. It was a nine.
That had to be late. No one could stay awake until nine.
Harry hugged Marshall for luck and then snuck out of bed. The nightlight helped him see and he peeked into the hall. Lights were still on downstairs but they’d have to leave them on tonight.
Harry slid to the side of the stairs and held the banister tight. His pjs were a little slippery but he only fell once on his way down.
When he reached the bottom, he looked down the hall. No one. He tiptoed into the living room and grinned. No presents were under the tree yet. He wasn’t too late.
Harry went straight to his hiding place, between the two chairs and in front of the bookshelf. Then he sat down to wait some more. He was going to see Santa’s face for the first time. All he had to do was not fall asleep.
Harry jerked awake when something wet touched his face. He tried to roll away, but the wet followed him. When something barked, Harry opened his eyes as the dog licked him again. A Dalmatian. Just like Marshall. “Did Santa bring you?”
The dog woofed and jumped in Harry’s lap.
Mom and Dad came into the room with their coffee cups. “Merry Christmas, Harry.”
“Did Santa bring me a puppy?”
“Didn’t you see Santa?”
“No.” He must have fallen asleep after all. He hadn't seen Santa's face.
Mom picked up a red paper from the plate where they’d left the cookies. “Looks like Santa left you a note.”
“What does it say?”
“Maybe next year.”
Harry nodded and hugged the Dalmation. "I'll see him next year."
***
The above is part of the WEP challenge First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Please check out the links to read the other entries into the challenge. There's lots of time to join as the entries will be open from Dec 1-15. I hope you'll join in the fun!!!
November 2, 2022
IWSG & NaNo
The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
November 2 question - November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?
I LOVE NaNo!
WAY back when I first stumbled into writing for fun (at that point I had no actual knowledge of the publishing biz) I learned about NaNo. Sounded like fun so I jumped in. This was on November 1st.
I started a new project and won. My prize? A rambling mess of a story that required a ton of edits! I learned so much from writing that mess.
Since then, I've done NaNo fairly regularly. Now, I have a much better idea of how I write a story, and my projects no longer require all those edits. I still don't outline or plot in advance, but the characters and main points of a story percolate in my brain long before I start chapter 1.
We all have different ways of writing a story, so the NaNo experience might not be for everyone, but it makes me happy. NaNo is all about the joy of a community focused on writing. As part of the IWSG, we all know something about that!
How about you? Do you NaNo? Are you a rebel?
If you want a NaNo buddy, I'm @jemifraser over there!
October 18, 2022
Hey, Thrillers!
Lindsay swallowed hard and looked into the camera. “Hey Thrillers. It’s been a fun year broadcasting with you. Just wanted to let you know that, in case this is our last video. Ever.”
Julie laughed and switched the feed to her own camera. “Hey everyone. Can you believe the woman who dove with hungry sharks and climbed into a derelict mine in search of treasure is afraid of a cemetery?”
“Those are thrills. This is spooky stuff. Not my thing at all.”
Julie lit up her face with the flashlight beneath her chin. “But it is mine. And you lost the coin toss.”
All true.
Julie smirked. “Okay, Thrillers, you’ve been watching the live stream of the cabin for hours now. No one has entered or exited since we checked it out together before sunset. Now, it’s five minutes before midnight.”
Lindsay sighed heavily. “On All Hallow’s Eve, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. When spirits have the best chance of crossing that veil with a full moon to light their way.”
Julie made a Wooo sound and Lindsay glared at her. Julie lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper while she looked at the camera. “Okay, Thrillers, we’re moving in. Approaching the cabin as the clock ticks closer to midnight. Lindsay, remind our viewers about the legend.”
Lindsay blew out a breath and steadied her voice. “Here, deep in the swamps surrounding New Orleans, the line between reality and the supernatural is always thin. Voices lure you in far deeper than you planned to go. Mists rise from the ground, sneaking between the plants and reaching ever upward.”
Lindsay panned her camera down and around, showing the old forest and the mists. The full moon made the pictures perfectly creepy and she had to work to keep her voice level. “On this night seven times seven times seven years ago, in 1679, a family lived here. The youngest was the seventh son of a seventh son.”
Julie grinned and picked up the tale. “The number seven has power. Young Caleb Bouchard felt it growing inside. He’d told his parents but they urged him to keep it quiet, to never use his powers, to never let others know. But Caleb was two times seven years of age and oh, so sure of his control. Sure that he was a good person and that the power would do as he commanded.”
When Julie nodded to her, Lindsay continued. “Caleb decided the night of All Hallow’s Eve would be the day he’d show them all that his power was good. He waited for the stroke of midnight, waited for the moon to shine. And then he called for the spirits to cross. Called for them to rid the world of those who would harm others. Called for them to spare those of good heart.”
Julie whispered. “Witnesses heard terrible screams and saw flashing lights, but there was no evidence of fire. No evidence of anything. Not Caleb. Not his family. Not a trace.”
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and Lindsay took over. “It’s almost midnight. Count it down with us.”
Julie put her hand on the door and slowly twisted it as Lindsay counted. “Five, four, three, two, one. Midnight.”
Julie threw open the door and light bloomed from inside, flashing and changing. A hideous howl filled the night and Julie jumped back with a shriek.
Then the iconic first beats of Michael Jackson’s Thriller filled the air and Lindsay couldn’t keep in the laughter anymore.
It took Julie about three seconds before she joined in. Then she moved to stand beside Lindsay with a playful swat on her arm. She tapped her hand over her heart and then smiled at the camera. “She got me. Just remember, payback is coming. Happy Halloween, Thrillers!”
***
The above is part of the WEP Challenge for October! Be sure to click the links to get to more entries for the Challenge. This is always a favorite time of year for flash fiction. I hope you join in for this round!
October 5, 2022
IWSG, Romance, and Hope
The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
October's Question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?
My favourite genre for both writing and reading is romance, specifically romantic suspense on the lighter side of the genre.
I love this genre because it's all about hope.
Hope that you can become a better personHope that you can find someone to spend your life withHope that you can solve the problemHope that you can make the world a better placeHope that good will always winHope that hard work pays offHope that love makes everything betterHope that happy endings can be realOf course, Hope isn't specific to romance.
I also read a lot of Mystery, Fantasy, & SciFi where Hope is often a major theme - at least in the books I love!
How about you? Do you like books that have Hope as a central theme? What's the central theme of the genre you like best?
September 28, 2022
HR Sinclair & Oscar The Apprehensive Apparition!
I'm delighted to welcome HR Sinclair to the blog along with Oscar, the Apprehensive Apparation! Before we get to her feature, I had 2 questions to ask Holly!
Writing for young people is a delightful challenge. What was your favorite part of writing a chapter book?
It’s freeing. You can be goofy and silly. There’s no bogging down on subplots, twists, red herrings, or going to dark places– it’s about wonderment and journey and joy.
What was the most challenging?
Choosing the age range. Children develop at such different rates, picking the correct age is difficult. You would think having a range would make it easier, but it really doesn’t. In the end, I went with my gut.
***
It’s a pleasure to welcome Author H. R. Sinclair here today as part of her tour from with MC Book Tours featuring her book, OSCAR, THE APPREHENSIVE APPARITION, to be released the first week of October.
This is a Chapter Book for ages 5 through 8 but is a delight to read no matter your age. If you’ve ever enjoyed Casper, then you’ll be glad you got to know Oscar.
Oscar, the Apprehensive Apparition
By H. R. Sinclair
Chapter Book for Ages 5-8
*Independently published
*ISBN: 9798848409956
*Dimensions: 5x8
*42 pages, black and white illustrations
*eBook: 3.99
*Print book: 6.99
*Release date: Oct 3
Oscar the ghost dwells happily in his cozy cottage, where he hides from creatures that lurk in the dark. After a mysterious message arrives, he must find the courage to go out and discover what's waiting for him. Can he do it? Or will the monsters get him?
Oscar, the Apprehensive Apparition is available to purchase at the following links:
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCSTBY2Z
Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6443352338
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/oscar-the-apprehensive-apparition
Meet The Author: H. R. Sinclair
H.R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.
For more about the author and her work, connect with her on the following sites:
Blog: https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/blog/
Newsletter: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/hrsinclair
Twitter: https://twitter.com/southpawpov
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrsinclair/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7548000-h-r-sinclair
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/h-r-sinclair
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iamhrsinclair/_created/
Thanks for stopping by today during H. R. and Oscar’s visit. Are you a fan of friendly ghosts like Casper and Oscar?
***
How about you? I adore Casper and I know I'm going to love Oscar as well! Who is your favourite ghost from TV and movies?
